Loyola Marymount University Cafeteria Workers Win Union
Los Angeles, CA – More than 140 campus dining workers at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) have won union representation, choosing to join UNITE HERE Local 11. Campus dining workers at LMU, the largest Catholic university on the West Coast, are employees of the multinational food service company Sodexo.
After a hard-fought campaign, the campus dining workers at LMU won union representation with UNITE HERE Local 11 on Tuesday, April 19th. The workers at LMU will now prepare to negotiate a first contract.
"I’ve worked at LMU for 6 years and am so proud to have been part of winning the union. I love taking care of the students here and it was great to have their support. The opportunity for better wages and benefits will mean a lot to our families," said Tina Jones, a cashier at the C-Lion store at Loyola Marymount University.
The LMU workers, after months of organizing, are the seventh group of cafeteria workers at a college or university to win union representation with UNITE HERE in the past 5 months.
"My co-workers and I are excited to join with the thousands of other food service workers in UNITE HERE Local 11. We are stronger together and ready to negotiate our first contract," said Emmanuel Rodriguez, a cook in "The Lair" at Loyola Marymount University.
With UNITE HERE, the LMU workers join the leading union of food service workers in North America, joining dining workers from over 100 campuses across the United States and Canada. In joining UNITE HERE Local 11, the LMU workers join over 10,000 food service workers in Los Angeles and Orange counties including the campus dining workers at the University of Southern California and the California Institute of the Arts.
UNITE HERE Local 11, Southern California’s hospitality union, represents more than 20,000 hotel and food service workers in Los Angeles and Orange counties. www.unitehere11.org
UNITE HERE represents over 250,000 workers throughout the U.S. and Canada who work in the hospitality, gaming, food service, and airport industries. www.unitehere.org